Azerbaijan Mobilizing to Speed Up ‘Trump Route’ Implementation, Aliyev Says

President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan said that his country is mobilizing all sectors to speed up the implementation of the so-called “Trump Route.”

The route, known as the Trump Route for Peace and Prosperity, was part of an agreement signed by Aliyev and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan at the White House last month, whereby Armenia will grant control of a 27-mile road in Syunik to the United States. This will provide Azerbaijan with a transport route to Nakhichevan.

Saying that the Trump Route, or TRIPP as it is being called, has considerable potential for future energy transportation, Aliyev also emphasized that the road will provide “unhindered” connection to Nakhichevan.

While Yerevan is insisting that the road will operate based on Armenian laws, Aliyev is contending that he does not want Armenian border guards manning the road.

Aliyev’s top adviser, Hikmet Hajiyev, announced that construction has already begun on the 27-mile road in Syunik within the territory of Armenia.

“Our U.S. partners are engaged,” Hajiyev asserted, speaking at a Caspian Business Forum in New York, taking place on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly.

“The implementation of the railway project from Baku to Zangilan and the border with Armenia began in 2020 and is planned to be completed by mid-2026,” Hajiyev said.

The Armenian government has yet to comment on the specifics of the the so-called Trump Route. Officials, including Pashinyan, have said further discussions will have to take place with the U.S.

“The broader Caspian region, including South Caucasus and Central Asia, is a long-term focal point for US foreign policy,” said Caleb Orr, Senior Advisor to the Deputy Secretary of State, the Caspian Policy Center said on a post on X Wednesday.

“It’s in our strategic interest to invest in and build on this region for many years to come,” Orr, who also attended the Caspian Forum, added.